Baylor Law Alumnus Elected President-Elect of the State Bar of Texas

May 10, 2007

Baylor University Law School alumnus Harper Estes has been elected president-elect of the State Bar of Texas for the 2007-2008 year. In 2008-2009, he will serve as president of the third-largest bar association in the United States.

"Harper is deserving of this office," said Brad Toben, dean of Baylor Law School. "He is a highly experienced, accomplished and caring lawyer. Aside from his successful practice, over the years he has devoted a very large part of his time and energies into service in the organized bar. He lives a life that's been devoted to service within his profession, community and church."

A shareholder, mediator and arbitrator for Lynch, Chappell & Alsup in Midland, Estes has practiced law for 27 years emphasizing in commercial trial work and oil and gas litigation. He received his bachelor's degree from Texas Tech University and his JD from Baylor in 1979.

He has served as president, president-elect, vice president and secretary/treasurer of the Midland County Bar Association. He also served on the State Bar of Texas' board of directors as chair of the grievance committee, on the Texas Young Lawyers Association board of directors and as secretary/treasurer of the Midland County Young Lawyers Association.

Certified in civil trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Estes is a life fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. He also is active in Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the First Presbyterian Church of Midland.

Estes will follow in the footsteps of a number of Baylor Law alumni who have held the post of president of the state bar. Baylor Law predecessors in this position of leadership include A.J. Folley, Leon Jaworski, Gib Gayle, Jim Bowmer, Cullen Smith, Wayne Fisher and Frank Newton.

"We are a quite small law school in size, but our alumni are so very significant in terms of leadership in the public and private sectors," Toben said.

The State Bar of Texas is an administrative agency of the Supreme Court of Texas that provides educational programs for the legal profession and the public, administers the minimum continuing legal education program for attorneys, and manages the attorney discipline system.